Kim Carney, who delighted Purple Rose audiences a few years back with Nooner, stakes out some interesting new territory with her latest play, Labor Day.

This drama deals with the human comedy of male-female relationships, shadowed by a darker side of life. Carney skillfully entangles stories of two couples who converge on a rundown motel along the Muskegon River one Labor Day weekend.

Ginny and Ron lost their teenage daughter at the motel years ago. Now, every Labor Day they return and mount a desperate vigil hoping she may still be alive and return to them.

The second couple, Sharon and Matt, are unmarried. Sharon discovers she’s faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Conflict escalates as she and Matt argue the issue. At the center of it all, a playful spirit emerges from the river to provide a focal point for their struggles. Suzi Regan directed the cast of Guy Sanville, Jim Porterfield, Terry Heck, Tricia Smith and newcomer Cheryl Leigh Williams.

Photos by Danna Segrest